You can't leave it there, Jaxsue. Are you alive? Because if you're not, I'm in the UK and I wouldn't mind picking up your share of this vast fortune. Not if you're alive, of course, only if you're dead.

Great news everyone! According to not one, but two emails that somehow ended up in my Spam folder today, Sveltana wants to marry me!

I'm so delighted! Thank you, Russian bride spammer.

Can I now plan an atrocious shower with a gimme-pig gift registry that will elicit an epic collective gasp from all of you? Please? Pretty please?

Of course. I suggest the luxury car dealership registry of your choice, with all the options.

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Common sense is not a gift, but a curse. Because thenyou have to deal with all the people who don't have it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I am so sick of the constant barrage of scam phone calls we keep getting. For a while it was the "Microsoft" one, then the "Windows Technical Department" and now I am being inundated with"Telstra" threatening me with cutting off my internet for reasons they don't go into. All callers claim to have European names even though their Indian accents are so thick it is hard to decipher. I let "Josh" take me as far as telling me to concentrate on the CTR key on my computer before he was so offended by being called a thief that he hung up. I obediently concentrated very hard on my control key but it didn't do anything.

This may be a legitimate offer but I doubt it-I am now getting calls at one of my offices for a business loan to help my cash flow issue. We don't have a "cash flow issue" and I don't know why we are suddenly being inundated with these calls.

One call had a very thick, distinctive Indian accent and I kept telling her no we did not want a loan, she said, "perfect, how much would you like?" Zero, we would like zero - get it, nothing, nada, no money. "Perfect let me transfer you to my supervisor to get started on the qualifying process." Supervisor with similar accent comes on the phone, "I understand you are interested in a loan for $25,000 to help your business?. No, I said we aren't interested in any amount, zero, nothing. She started talking about interest rates and I gave up and hung up.

My sibling is finally learning, at long last, why "no" is a complete sentence, and not to JADE.

He moved to a new town over a year ago. He went through a real estate company to find an apartment, and the agent was a young woman, probably 23-26. She was friendly about suggesting places to go in his new town, and offered to meet him and his then-SO for drinks. He passed her info to another friend who was looking to sell a house, and then, other than the occasional mailing from the company, didn't hear from her. Until three days ago. She texted to see how things were going. He mentioned that he'd recently bought a house and no longer lived in that apartment. She suggested that they get together and catch up. He started to get a hinky vibe, like she was about to try to sell him something or get him to buy something. He said he had no time for that, but if she wanted to stop by his work and say hi, she was welcome to do so. (He always does this and knows he shouldn't. We've been having talks about the power of "no").

Agent shows up. With two dogs, a full car, and three months pregnant. As soon as she finds out he and his SO are no more, she hits him with a whole sob story about how she was framed for shoplifting and lost her job, boyfriend dumped her, living in her car, etc. He says, "Well, nice to see you, but my break's over." She wants to know if he wants to "hang out" later? No. Is he maybe looking for "a roommate" for his nice, big house? No, he prefers his own space. But she loves gardening and would keep things clean! No, he has cats. But her dogs LOVE cats, it will be fine! No, he's in a band and practices all the time. No problem, she loves music! This JADE game goes on and on, and he finally point blank tells her she has to go. She asks him for money for gas because she's on empty. He, foolishly, gives her two dollars in change.

She "accidentally" leaves her phone there, and spends the next two days sending him emails about can he please, please bring her the phone, she needs it. He (slowly getting a clue) says no, but it will be here when you come in for it. She shows up, and passes out "sick" on the lobby couch for three hours. He ignores her. She recovers, then starts suggesting he might want "some company" later. No. His he SURE he doesn't need a roommate? No. She, in his words, "finally gets the hint and leaves." But, because he's given her money, of course she still has a wedge in the door. Next she starts with the sad texts: Do you know anyone who wants to adopt a homeless pregnant girl? Do you know someone who might buy my dogs food? Do you know anyone who will let me park my car in their driveway for a few days?

And finally, he seemed to wake up to the power of "no" and started blocking and ignoring all of her communication attempts. I am using this as a point-by-point study in how it's okay to say no. He's had so much trouble with this before, feeling guilty and like he has to "help" and then getting stuck with years of paying off someone's loans, or doing thousands of dollars of free work at church, or spending a month on what was supposed to be a one-afternoon "favor." I think this experience has been a big eye-opener for him: he's had plenty of friends/family just showing up and expecting him to provide money, a home, a solution, help, etc. This kind of behavior is bad enough when it's someone you know. But a total random person he met a year ago, ? Sorry, but absolutely not.

No one would suggest that this woman doesn't need help, but finding a Sugar Daddy is entirely the wrong way to get it. There are a million other ways than trying to hook up with your former real-estate clients.

My Dad has been super involved with all sorts of community groups. They've taken advantage of him a little because he's had room to store big sign boards and the like. Now that he's moving to a small apartment, he doesn't have room to store all this crap stuff. Great opportunity for him to pull back from some of the stuff he's been doing! And someone else has to step up.

poundcake, I feel for your brother. Poor guy. He sounds a lot like my Dad!

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After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.

I am so sick of the constant barrage of scam phone calls we keep getting. For a while it was the "Microsoft" one, then the "Windows Technical Department" and now I am being inundated with"Telstra" threatening me with cutting off my internet for reasons they don't go into. All callers claim to have European names even though their Indian accents are so thick it is hard to decipher. I let "Josh" take me as far as telling me to concentrate on the CTR key on my computer before he was so offended by being called a thief that he hung up. I obediently concentrated very hard on my control key but it didn't do anything.

The bolded made me snerk quite heartily, thank you for giving me a laugh this morning.

Especially since I came on here quite grumpy. I literally woke up about 10 min ago. Phone rings. Figure must be important this early. (Ha!) Caller I.D. shows as private/unknown, but this is how my neighbor's unlisted number shows and I'm kind of expecting to hear from them so...

Me: (blearily) "Hello?"Scammer: "Softly?" (Note the use of just my first name. Like they know me. )Me: "Uh yes?"Scammer: "Can I speak to DadsFirstName?"Me: "Um, he doesn't live here."Scammer: "Do you have a phone number? This is Publisher's Clearing House." ...Okay time out. If you were legit, you would be a) addressing me and my father by our full legal names and b) you would have led with that and identified yourself as well. I smell and scam and it is too early for this carp you creep. Me: "He doesn't do you guys."Scammer: "How do you know Softly?"Me: *thinking* Because a) he's my Dad and I know him and b) if he did and this was legit you would actually have his contact info instead of thinking he still lives here - he hasn't lived here in over 2 years and he wouldn't give this address. And I'm tired and you are being rude. *CLICK*

So yeah. Great way to start my day, being harassed by some creepy shady scammer who takes liberties and calls me by my first name. Ugh. And he had not accent but talked in this weird stilted way that made him sound like a recording. *shudder*If my dad really won, I'm sure they will find a way to get in touch with him.

Logged

"... for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."-William Shakespeare

"We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't." ~Frank A. Clark

There are a lot of PCH scams out there. They notify people of winnings, but then say that you need to pay taxes & fees upfront.

The part where the guy was trying to track down your father doesn't fit this pattern--he would have told you that you had won and started his pitch. It sounds much more like he is using unscrupulous methods to locate your father for some reason. It could be something you don't know about, such as an old, forgotten bill that was sent to a sleazy collection agency. It could be some ne'er-do-well with the same name as your father. I was hounded for some time by bill collectors looking for a guy in my city with the same last name as me. They were apparently just calling everyone in my city with that last name in hopes of hitting the jackpot. It's very possible that there is someone else named Dad Softly out there whose ex-wife or fraud victim or someone like that, has hired a detective to find.

I am so sick of the constant barrage of scam phone calls we keep getting. For a while it was the "Microsoft" one, then the "Windows Technical Department" and now I am being inundated with"Telstra" threatening me with cutting off my internet for reasons they don't go into. All callers claim to have European names even though their Indian accents are so thick it is hard to decipher. I let "Josh" take me as far as telling me to concentrate on the CTR key on my computer before he was so offended by being called a thief that he hung up. I obediently concentrated very hard on my control key but it didn't do anything.

The bolded made me snerk quite heartily, thank you for giving me a laugh this morning.

Especially since I came on here quite grumpy. I literally woke up about 10 min ago. Phone rings. Figure must be important this early. (Ha!) Caller I.D. shows as private/unknown, but this is how my neighbor's unlisted number shows and I'm kind of expecting to hear from them so...

Me: (blearily) "Hello?"Scammer: "Softly?" (Note the use of just my first name. Like they know me. )Me: "Uh yes?"Scammer: "Can I speak to DadsFirstName?"Me: "Um, he doesn't live here."Scammer: "Do you have a phone number? This is Publisher's Clearing House." ...Okay time out. If you were legit, you would be a) addressing me and my father by our full legal names and b) you would have led with that and identified yourself as well. I smell and scam and it is too early for this carp you creep. Me: "He doesn't do you guys."Scammer: "How do you know Softly?"Me: *thinking* Because a) he's my Dad and I know him and b) if he did and this was legit you would actually have his contact info instead of thinking he still lives here - he hasn't lived here in over 2 years and he wouldn't give this address. And I'm tired and you are being rude. *CLICK*

So yeah. Great way to start my day, being harassed by some creepy shady scammer who takes liberties and calls me by my first name. Ugh. And he had not accent but talked in this weird stilted way that made him sound like a recording. *shudder*If my dad really won, I'm sure they will find a way to get in touch with him.

I believe Publisher's Clearing House actually shows up at your door if you win. They make a huge production out of it too - they want to get your exited reaction on camera.

Spammers register all sorts of ridiculous domain names, knowing that the domain will rapidly get placed on spam filters. However, I think this was an unfortunate combination. (For obvious reasons, I have bowdlerized the email subject.)

Subject: Become more manly and make her very happy in the bedroom From: BlahBlah@TheImpossibilityOfSucceeding.com